Community Group Claims SMMUSD Withdrew Proposal For Civic Auditorium

SANTA MONICA, CA — A statement released by a community group called Save the Civic claimed the Santa Monica Malibu Unified School Distric withdrew its proposal to purchase the Civic Auditorim, but district officials said the statement was false.

According to SMMUSD, negotiations are still taking place between the district and the city and additional updates about the process are expected to be shared in the next few days. District officials have asked Save the Civic to retract their release, but it remained up as of 4 p.m. Wednesday.

"While SMMUSD remains interested in purchasing and rehabilitating the Civic Auditorium, the District encourages the City to explore and exhaust other options prior to concluding negotiations between the District and the City," SMMUSD Superintendant Dr. Antonio Shelton said.

Save the Civic, a community group which was only formed a few weeks ago, is known for spearheading the opposition to the District's plan. In the statement, the group claimed they saw little support for the district's proposal from the community or the City Council.

Members of the group said they would like to see the auditorium return to being used for music and performing arts.

"Now that its proposal has been withdrawn, the final hurdle has been removed and the City can field offers from other bidders. We’re looking forward to working with entities who have experience developing and operating world-class concert venues and can restore the Civic as a premier destination for music and the arts,” said Save the Civic Steering Committee member, Bea Nemlaha.

The Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District expressed interest in purchasing and revitalizing the long-shuttered building in August.

Last year, the Civic Auditorium was designated as surplus by the city, which inspired the school district to express interest in acquiring and revitalizing the building. The district conducted a feasibility study in March to determine whether it would be beneficial to purchase, repair and upgrade the building.

"SMMUSD has a strong interest in the purchase and preservation of this historic multi-use facility providing the City and residents with an opportunity for a trusted community partner to restore and bring this community treasure back to life," said Superintendent Dr. Antonio Shelton.

The Civic Auditorium was built in 1958 and was used for a variety of events such as concerts, exhibitions, sporting events and as the host of the Academy Awards. In 2013, the auditorium was closed because it required seismic, accessibility and various other upgrades.